The ninth chief executive of the nation's top-ranked public university will be concluding his 17-year tenure in July 2024. Gene Block began his role as UCLA chancellor on August 1, 2007. Under his leadership, UCLA has achieved numerous accomplishments such as increasing enrollment, providing guaranteed housing to undergraduates, ranking highly nationally, almost doubling its research funding, expanding its reach throughout Los Angeles, and strengthening its commitment to diversity, affordability, access, and service. Block, who is an accomplished neurobiologist, intends to focus more on teaching and research at UCLA after his tenure. The UC Office of the President will commence a national search for his successor this fall.
Visit the tribute page to learn about Chancellor Block's impact on UCLA and an opportunity to leave him a message.
UCLA announced a significant increase in admissions for fall 2023, accepting 4.7% more freshmen and transfer students. The university's efforts to expand access and opportunities for in-state students have resulted in historically underrepresented groups comprising 37% of admitted California-resident freshmen. Notably, the admissions of California Latino freshmen saw a significant increase of 8.3%, reflecting a student body that better represents the demographic changes in the state and region. Additionally, the university is prioritizing serving transfer students, with admissions from the community college system growing by 9%.
Parks After Dark has been successful in reducing crime, according to a new evaluation by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The program, initiated in 2010 in three Los Angeles County Parks with the goal of decreasing violence and promoting physical activity, has since expanded to 34 parks. A survey conducted in 2022 revealed that 92% of attendees felt secure during evening events, and 94% agreed that the program allowed them to spend quality time with their loved ones. The UCLA researchers concluded that 189 fewer crimes were committed in the neighborhoods hosting the events during the program's duration than they could have expected to occur otherwise.
According to published research, the language model GPT-3, powered by artificial intelligence, demonstrated the same level of proficiency as college students when solving logic problems similar to those found in standardized tests. The study, conducted by UCLA researchers, raises the question of whether the technology is simply mimicking human reasoning or utilizing a different kind of cognitive process. To answer this question, access to the software that powers GPT-3 and other AI programs would be necessary.
Researchers from UCLA have discovered a technique for depositing lithium metal onto a surface that prevents the formation of a corrosive layer. This new development has allowed the metal to take on a unique 12-sided shape that had not been seen before. Compared to the common lithium-ion batteries, lithium-metal batteries have the potential to produce more power but also can be more dangerous. The new technique could lead to the creation of safer and more efficient lithium-metal batteries in the future.
UCLA's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences has received the largest donation in its history from adjunct professor Lawrence "Larry" Harding Jr. The donation will establish the Lawrence Harding Endowed Chair, which will focus on oceanography research. UCLA will contribute $1 million in matching funds to further support the chair holder. The donation is a tribute to Harding's father, a UCLA alumnus and former member of the baseball team.
Suzanne Paulson, chair of the department through June 2023, expressed gratitude for the contribution, stating that it will facilitate the hiring of a top-tier faculty member and support much-needed research on oceans, a vital component of our coastal environment and changing planet.
View the recording which features UCLA campus architect Peter Hendrickson, responsible for conceptualizing, planning, designing and constructing major capital projects at UCLA.
The University of California and the U.S. Department of Education recently hosted a webinar discussing new repayment options for federal student loans in light of payments coming due again this fall. It's a great opportunity to learn about the latest options available to manage your student loans and stay on top of your finances.
UCLA Health hospitals were recognized on the U.S. News & World Report national honor roll for the 34th consecutive year and named a #1 hospital in California and Los Angeles.
A study by UCLA Health researchers found that current methods of storing and tracking data on children receiving emergency care miss many who with self-injurious thoughts or behaviors. This limits the accuracy of risk-prediction models for identifying children at risk for suicide or self-harm. However, the researchers found that machine learning models they had designed were significantly better at identifying at-risk children. These findings could improve early intervention and prevention efforts.
Cancer research centers could enroll more patients from underrepresented groups in clinical trials by relieving investigators of the costs of translating consent documents into languages other than English, according to a UCLA study published in the journal Nature. Consent documents are required to be in a language understandable to the patient, but unexpected costs like translation fees reduce funds available for other important aspects of research. These additional costs could discourage investigators from recruiting patients requiring translated documents, contributing to the low rates of underrepresented groups in clinical trials.
